The Real Cost of Better: How One Sustainable Brand Survived the Post-Pandemic Recession
In early 2022, the future looked boundless for businesses like ours.
Interest rates were low, consumers had money to spend, and there was unprecedented momentum behind what we call "better-than" products—items that improved on existing offerings through superior sustainability, ethics, and performance. From toothpaste to hair ties, small disruptive companies were reimagining everyday products with purpose. At KOOSHOO, we were riding this wave, having spent a decade pioneering plastic-free hair accessories that put the planet first. We had big plans.
Then the tide turned.
How the Post-Pandemic Economy Changed Sustainable Business
The first tremor came from an unexpected place: shipping containers. As pandemic-related supply chain issues peaked, freight costs soared to historic highs. For a small business like ours, this presented an impossible choice: absorb crushing costs or pass them to customers who already saw our products as premium-priced. We chose to absorb them, hoping the surge was temporary. It wasn't.
What followed was a cascade of economic pressures that would test not just KOOSHOO, but an entire ecosystem of conscious commerce. As inflation took hold and interest rates climbed, consumers' discretionary income—the very fuel of the "better-than" movement—evaporated into necessities like housing and food. The impact rippled through our community with devastating speed.
Why Small Business Closures Impact Sustainable Shopping
Here's what economic reports don't show: the local yoga studio that can no longer stock sustainable accessories, the family-owned general store that served as their town's gateway to conscious products, the neighborhood salon that introduced clients to plastic-free alternatives. In two years, we watched helplessly as over 25 of our small business partners closed their doors permanently. Each closure wasn't just a lost account—it was a community losing its champion for better choices.
The cruel irony?
Consumer spending didn't disappear; it shifted. While small businesses struggled, companies like Shein and Temu rose to dominance, offering "ultra-fast fashion" at impossibly low prices. These AI-driven giants now command such volume that they're actually driving freight costs back up, creating a self-reinforcing cycle that further challenges small businesses trying to do things right.
How National Retail Partnerships Can Save Small Brands
This could have been where our story ended. Like many of our customers, we're real people—parents, renters, individuals trying to build something meaningful while making ends meet. The stress of potentially losing everything we'd built over 12 years manifested physically in our bodies.
Then came an unexpected call from Whole Foods Market.
What might look like a corporate partnership from the outside was, in reality, a lifeline that allowed us to completely reimagine our business. The volume from them launching us nationally in both the USA and Canada enabled us to achieve what had seemed impossible: we reduced our retail prices by 30-60% while improving both quality and sustainability. Not only were we able to deliver incredible products to the iconic grocer, we were then able to offer the same pricing to all our small business and end customers.
Making Sustainable Products More Affordable
This price reduction wasn't magic—it was mathematics. Higher volume meant efficiency in production. New packaging designs reduced freight costs. Every aspect of our operation was scrutinized and optimized. But most importantly, it meant our products could become accessible to more people without compromising our values.
The Future of Sustainable Business: KOOSHOO in 2025
As we end 2024, we're seeing the first signs of spring after a long winter. Interest rates are coming down, inflation is gradually cooling, and while discretionary income hasn't fully recovered, there's a growing sense of financial balance returning to daily life. Our October sales data confirms this optimistic outlook, with small businesses once again confidently stocking inventory.
But what truly excites us is what's coming in 2025.
For the first time since April 2022, we're launching new products—not just one, but at least four new styles by April 2025. This expansion is supported by Whole Foods' commitment to significantly grow our range across their USA and Canada locations (and their continued belief in the power of small business, it should be noted).
These aren't just new products; they represent years of innovation and improvement in both quality and sustainability, made possible by surviving our toughest chapter.
They're also products that you should rightly be very excited for!
Why Supporting Small Sustainable Brands Matters
This isn't just KOOSHOO's story. It's a microcosm of what happens when consumer choices meet economic reality. The saying "every dollar is a vote for the future you want to see" isn't just marketing—it's data-driven truth. When small, values-driven businesses succeed, they reinvest their profits into innovation and better solutions, not shareholder returns. This is how real change happens in industries.
Consider organic food: it wasn't major corporations that made it mainstream—it was small farms and independent brands proving there was a market for better food. The same story plays out in ethical fashion, climate tech, and yes, even hair accessories (yep, that's us!). Small businesses take the risks, pioneer the solutions, and show what's possible.
Building a Sustainable Future Together
As we celebrate our 12th year, we're reminded that business survival isn't just about numbers—it's about community.
Every person who chose our plastic-free hair ties over cheaper alternatives, every small store that kept us on their shelves through tough times, and even Whole Foods taking a chance on a small brand—these decisions compound into something powerful: proof that better is possible, even in the hardest times.
The future of "better-than" products doesn't rest with corporations or economic trends. It rests with individuals making conscious choices, telling their friends about products they believe in, and being part of a story bigger than any single purchase.
That's where you come in. If you believe in what we're building, tell someone. Share our story. Be proud of choosing better. Because in the end, the future of sustainable business isn't just about surviving recessions—it's about creating a world where better becomes the standard, not the exception.
And that's a future worth fighting for.
